An Alternate Fate
by bigeandhertv
Summary: Mostly C.C. and Niles but Fran and Max will be included as well.  This idea is based off the Friends episode "The One that Could Have Been".  Would these couples still end up together had events in their lives gone differently?
1. Prologue

_**A/N: I originally intended this to be a oneshot, but I decided to split it up. It will most likely only be a few chapters. I may not update as fast because I have been working tremendously hard on keeping up my updates on my other story Disintegration of Delusion. Anyways, I got this idea from the Friends episode "The One that Could Have Been"**_

Niles and C.C. were deliriously happy. They had been married and living in California for several months now and C.C. was 6 months pregnant with Niles' child. They were sitting at a table next to one another, holding hands with their fingers entwined. Frequently they would look at one another, their eyes would meet and they would smile. Niles would occasionally bring her cream colored hand to his lips and plant a loving kiss on the back of it. Being with him had changed her for the better. The loving and caring side of her that had been hidden away deep in her heart for so many years had finally been brought to the surface. They were in love and nothing would change that.

Sitting across from them was another deliriously happy couple. Fran and Maxwell had been married for over a year now. Their twins were at home, happy and healthy being watched by Gracie. This would be the first of many double dates these 2 couples would go on. With a few glasses of wine consumed by each of them, they started to have an interesting conversation.

Fran opened her mouth to speak:

"Awwww, look at you 2. You both are so cute! I would have never imagined this, but you two really make each other happy. Seeing you holding hands right now, it's such a hallmark moment."

And although some of it was due to the wine, she smiled and was actually slightly emotional at seeing both Niles and C.C. so happy together.

Niles and C.C. just looked at one another and smiled while still holding each others' hands.

All of their lives' were going splendidly. None of them would change anything for the world, although a thought suddenly dawned on the 4 of them. If things had been different would have they been able to find one another and be as truly happy as they were now?

C.C. opened her mouth to speak:

"You know, I always pondered the question of how my life would be if I was still a brunette with black rimmed glasses and only Maxwell's secretary."

She turned toward Niles before speaking once more.

"You wouldn't even have considered pursuing me, that's for sure."

Niles felt the need to defend himself and reassure her of his unrequited love for her.

"Sure I would. I fell for you before you were a blonde after all. Oh, and I think you look quite cute with glasses.

He smiled at her while raising the back of her hand to his lips to kiss once more.

Fran spoke next:

"You know, what if I would have married Danny after I saw him in the bridal shop that second time. Oh I am so glad I didn't do that!"

Niles opened his mouth to speak:

"I always wondered how my life would have been different had I continued my schooling and gotten a law degree."

Maxwell chimed in as well:

"I always wondered how different my life would have been if I had taken on Cats. Surely Andrew Lloyd Weber wouldn't be the subject of every positive review on Broadway."

"Honey, your show is going splendidly here. Surely you're not still fuming about that."

"Of course not, dear. I have just always wondered."

Niles spoke once more:

"Do you think if all these things had happened in our lives, that we would still be friends?"

They all pondered the idea.

…


	2. Niles the Attorney, CC the Secretary

_**A/N: Hello Hello my fellow readers and writers! I am excited to share the beginning of this short story with you. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Shout outs to slm38, LaurenLaneLover, ladybrin and Lucky Starz for reviewing the Prologue. I do not own these lovely characters.**_

C.C. Babcock sat in her boss's office, chewing on the top of her pen as she read over one of the plays that Maxwell Sheffield was contemplating producing. She put some markings in the areas that she thought were entertaining and worthwhile as she continued to read the script.

She chewed on her pen cap, as her long nut brown hair fell to the sides of her face. Her black-rimmed glasses were on the edge of her nose as she looked up from the play to greet Maxwell as he walked into the room. He had become so pompous since his successful run of Cats had opened on Broadway.

She despised the fact that she seemed to be stuck in a dead end job with no prospects. She loved the theater of course, but she had been stuck at secretary for 20 years now. She had been hoping for a big break for a while now, but it just seemed as if it was out of reach.

She would have quit years ago if she thought that it could have lead to something better. However, her connections had become quite limited since she graduated from college and been cut out of her family's inheritance. They had told her that she would have been better off trying to find a man and produce an heir than working at a dead end job with no prospects. After 20 years at the same place and level, she wondered if she should have taken their advice.

C.C. had been used to a lavish lifestyle growing up, however in the last 20 years, she had grown accustomed to the simple things in life. Her apartment proved that point, for it was a small one bedroom, sparsely furnished, and used mostly as a place to rest her head before her next day at work.

As unpleasant as this all seemed, C.C. had no problem with it. She had evolved into a simple woman with exceptional intelligence accepting of the fact that her life was stagnant. She figured if change was supposed to happen for her then it would and so she didn't question the injustice of her circumstances.

C.C. would have been completely content with her life if it weren't for a certain attorney who made her life a living hell on a daily basis. She was tortured with seeing this wretch everyday, for Maxwell needed him frequently when drawing up contracts for actors and other members of the production team. She hated everything about this man for he was what she strived NOT to become on a daily basis.

First of all he was the most arrogant person that she had ever met. Secondly, he looked down his nose at everyone and lastly, he insulted her appearance and intelligence on a daily basis. She absolutely loathed him.

Of course, she would never admit out loud that she was extremely attracted to him and the smell of his cologne made her heart pump wild. This weighed with the other negative things about him made her detest him even more.

The only thing she had to look forward was the crazy antics of a certain nanny. As different as the backgrounds of these 2 women were, she could honestly say that she considered her to be one of her best friends.

She really thought it was unfortunate that Fran Fine married that no good rotten pig that owned the bridal shop in Flushing, for C.C. knew that Fran deserved much better than that animal. But as much as she hated the fact, she would be there for friend and support her 100 percent.

C.C. continued on with the next script when suddenly she heard the door open. She looked up and immediately saw the arrogant sexy man whom she loathed. She rolled her eyes and groaned slightly as he walked into the room.

He opened his mouth to speak to Maxwell:

"Maxwell, I drew up those contracts for whichever playwright you decide on. Please don't forget to actually _read_ them this time. You can't make humpty dumpty here do everything!"

C.C. would not let this arrogant human being insult her without fighting back.

"This coming from a man who wears a corset under his suit on a daily basis. Not to mention your head is so swollen I thought I was looking at the Jupiter itself!"

She continued on with reading the script, thinking her insult was sufficient.

Niles just looked at her slightly stunned, but with a slight grin on his face, nonetheless. As nerdy as the woman appeared to be, be couldn't deny he thought she was attractive and lived for the daily fire she displayed on a daily basis.

Being a rich and successful man, he had his pick of the pond when it came to women, but for some reason, he continued to come back to the slightly plump and somewhat geeky secretary that worked for his richest client, Maxwell Sheffield.

He hated to admit that behind his arrogant and completely put together exterior, he was nothing more than a man with many insecurities, afraid to make a move for fear of being rejected.

Maxwell opened his mouth to speak:

"Would you two stop it already and behave like adults for 5 minutes? C.C. why don't you go and get us a cup of coffee"

"Make it decaf, would you frump girl. I have reached my target heart rate for the day and I will surely get palpitations."

She glared at him and headed out of the room. She would make sure his cup of coffee was highly caffeinated.

How is it that a person could make her blood boil and give her butterflies simultaneously? Again, with this thought in mind she reaffirmed herself of how much she detested this man. However, her feelings were a little different than what she let on.

She poured the cups of coffee and considered putting a shot of espresso in his cup as well, but decided against it. She didn't want him to have a heart attack in the house after all, just a little discomfort.

She walked into the office with both cups of coffee.

"Here is your coffee, Maxwell. And for you, Jupiter."

"Oh C.C. have you made the arrangements for the benefit next week? Niles, you are invited by the way and of course you can bring a guest if you so choose."

"Of course, I'll be attending! Please reserve me 2 plates Babs. I met a lovely woman last week at the country club and I am sure she would love to come with me."

C.C. couldn't resist as he walked right into that one.

"Not if she's seen you, she wouldn't!"

"Oh and I suppose you have a date all lined up…"

"Would you two stop it already! I never want you two in the same room again!"

C.C. answered first.

"Fine by me."

"Oh, Max, I am just having fun with her. She rarely gets attention from a man. Anyways, I have to get back to work. I'll bring the rest of the contracts over in the morning. Goodbye Max, Babs."

She just glared at him as he briskly walked out of the door.

"C.C. did you make arrangements for benefit?"

Of course she was distracted as she admired his backside when he left the room.

"Oh sorry, Mr. Sheffield, what were you saying?"

"The benefit, C.C., the benefit!"

"Oh of course, yes, I made the arrangements."

"You inviting anyone, C.C.?"

"Oh sure, I know a lovely man."

In reality, however, she would most likely invite Fran.

….

Fran sat in the kitchen, finishing off a pint of Haagen Daz chocolate ice cream. Although Danny had originally told her that he didn't want her to work, she was able to convince him to let her stay on during the week as Maxwell Sheffield's nanny.

She was thankful that he let her, because God knows she would have missed the children and working in the bridal shop or staying at home and performing wifely housework duties was not how she wanted to spend her days.

She had been in such a rush to get married, however, now that she was, she hated the life she was living. Danny certainly wasn't the brightest bulb there was and Fran knew it was bad when she could have a more intelligent conversation with Val, than her own husband. She was grateful that she had C.C. Babcock to talk to, for at least the woman had a brain even if in some aspects the two of them were on totally different wavelengths.

As if she had communicated to her telepathically somehow, C.C. walked into the kitchen.

"Hey C.C. How are you today?"

"Not good, anything left in that pint your eating?"

"Well I guess I could give you the last little morsel at the bottom. Tell me about your day."

"Well, that no good damn lawyer of Mr. Sheffield's showed up this morning. He gets on my damn nerves! He makes me want to pull out my own hair. He insults my appearance. That I can live with, but when he insults my intelligence, I just damn near want to kill him. Not to mention, the benefit is coming up, and I have no date. Of course he had to use that lovely fact against me as well and I am sure he will bring some harlot floozy to the event. Isn't that what those lawyer types go for?"

"C.C. I am sure you will find a date for the benefit. When is it? "

"Next week. I was actually going to ask if you wanted to go. Mr. Sheffield will kill me for telling you this, but I heard the Barbra Streisand will be there."

"Oh my God! The messiah, herself! I am going. Oh my gosh, I must go shopping for the occasion. Tomorrow afternoon and you are coming with me! I don't want to hear you say no."

"Fran, I don't need to buy a new dress, I have a bunch of dresses…"

Of course she was interrupted.

"C.C.! You are going! That is an order, not a request. We can take Val's car."

"Alright, you've convinced me."

She paused for a moment before she continued to speak.

"Well I better get back to the office, duty calls you know." She was about to walk out but not before Fran stopped her to say one last thing.

"Just so you know, I plan on making you look gorgeous for the benefit. Make sure Mr. Brightmore knows when you arrive, you know?"

"Why should that matter?"

"Because if he is indeed your enemy and worst nightmare, then he will hate seeing you thrive." Fran grinned slightly.

C.C. gave her a slightly evil looking smile before walking out of the kitchen. _Yes, I plan on looking great. His floozy will wish me dead and I will be the talk of the night. He will definitely eat all of the words and insults he has thrown at me for all these years. _

Little did she know, that the evening of the benefit would play out significantly different than she could have ever imagined.


	3. Jealousy Boils Over

_**A/N: Hi people! I am twitching in anticipation at the thought of sharing this chapter with you. It is longer than my normal chapter length, but totally worth reading. Anyways, this isn't the end of the story of course. Shout outs to Lucky Starz, EspoirDio, bogiedevil and slm38 for reviewing Chapter 1.**_

Chapter 2-Jealousy Boils Over

Fran was sitting in the kitchen finishing off the rest of Maggie's chocolate box that was given to her by her boyfriend. It was around 6 pm and Fran planned on heading back to her apartment within the next few minutes. She was just putting it off for as long as possible, because honestly, her home life wasn't all peaches and cream.

As she was finishing off the last of the chocolates, Maxwell came into the kitchen. Although Maxwell was terrible at handling emotional issues, he knew something was wrong and felt a strong urge to comfort her.

"Hello Ms. Fine uh I mean, Mrs. Imperiali, what seems to be troubling you? I see you here eating your mother's weight in chocolates."

"Oh, Mr. Sheffield, it's my life. Have you ever just felt, you know, in a rut, like everyday you get up in the morning and have nothing to look forward to? I mean I am a newly wed; I should be doting with happiness everyday. But instead I am sitting here talking to you because I dread going home to my husband."

He wanted to tell her how he felt. He knew she deserved better than that rotten pig of an individual and truthfully he had felt something for her the first day he saw her with that Shades of the Orient cosmetic bag in her arms. But Maxwell Sheffield wasn't the type that would interfere in the relationships of others and knowing that Fran was married, he would not be the "other man". So he simply said:

"Mrs. Imperiali" _God I hate saying that! _"I am sure it will get better. If it makes you feel any better, I felt the same way after Sara died. You just have to continue getting up in the morning and believe that something good will happen."

"But Mr. Sheffield, your wife_ died_, I just got married, surely our situations are not comparable."

He knew she was right of course and he hated seeing her this way, but he honestly didn't know how to deal with the situation. So he did the only thing in his mind he could think of.

He extended his arms and drew her into a warm hug. They lingered there for a while, just enjoying being in each other's arms before finally separating.

"Oh Mr. Sheffield, thank you for listening. Well I better head home."

"Goodbye Mrs. Imperiali."

And with that Fran walked out the door and took the subway back to her apartment.

When she arrived there, she noticed something strange. The door was cracked open and the apartment had a strange air about it. She couldn't quite put her foot on it, but she knew something was wrong.

She walked in and looked around. She noticed immediately, sitting on the coffee table a jacket that did not belong to her, but was clearly a woman's article of clothing, for it was short and was made of fake leather. It was a dark shade of red and although Fran was partial to this specific piece of clothing, she knew it did not belong to her.

She continued to look around the house for any more signs of suspicious activity. Suddenly she heard giggling and she knew immediately what was going on. She dashed to the bedroom and pushed open the door.

Her intuition had been right, for there Danny was stark naked in bed with another woman who Fran had never met before, although she did bear a striking resemblance to that of Heather Biblow.

Fran spoke in a voice louder than usual:

"Well I thought the tawdry affairs were supposed to end after the wedding, but clearly I was mistaken. How could I have been so stupid to think that you had changed? You are such a no good rotten pig, Danny Imperiali."

"Franny, come on now, lets talk about this."

"What's there to talk about? You're a completely dense buffoon and I was too much of a fool to realize it!"

The blonde with him opened her mouth to speak:

"You told me you were single. Now I am the other woman, how dare you!" And with that said, she slapped him across the face.

She immediately grabbed her clothes threw them on and the 2 women simultaneously walked out of the room. The blonde grabbed her coat and headed out the door.

Fran ran to the phone and rapidly punched in the numbers.

C.C. Babcock picked up on the other line.

"Hey C.C.! Listen, do you mind if I stay at your place tonight?"

"Oh no, Fran, what happened?"

"I just caught Danny in bed with another woman and frankly I just have had it with him anyways. Catching him cheating is the deal breaker."

"Oh Franny, I am sorry. "

"C.C. it's fine. I guess I have been looking for a way out for a while now. In a way, I am relieved. Meanwhile, get yourself dressed up because we are going out tonight."

"Oh Fran, I shouldn't, I have so much work to do…."

"Chas, I don't want to hear it. We are going out, now get dressed, I'll be over in an hour."

"I'll forgive you, just this once for mentioning an inkling of my real name. All right, if you insist. Truthfully, I haven't done anything fun in a while."

"That's the spirit, C.C.! I'll see you in an hour!"

"Alright see you later, Fran."

With that they both hung up the phone. C.C. rummaged through her closet trying to find something remotely stylish to wear. She hadn't been out in such a long time and when she did partake in a little alcohol it was normally in the comfort of her own place, usually while watching some sort of romantic comedy or prophetic musical.

_Damn, this is going to be harder, than I thought. I guess it is a good thing that Fran and I are going shopping for dresses for the benefit tomorrow. I really need some new clothes._

She continued to search through her attire. Finally, she found a dress that she thought was sufficient. It was a blue dress with short sleeves, and came down to slightly above the knee. It had a belt that buckled right below the breasts, giving her figure some shape. She slipped it on, thankful that it still fit and looked at herself in the mirror. _I look great, right? _And although she did, her insecurities clearly got the better of her as the thought lingered in the back of her mind that she didn't look good at all and that no man would ever find her attractive.

She, nonetheless, kept the dress on and did her simple makeup, which consisted of a very thin layer of foundation, pressed powder, blush and little eye makeup. She rarely even put the stuff on. She figured, whom would she need to impress anyways? The only 2 men in her life were her boss who gave her absolutely no credit at all or the asshole attorney who made her life miserable on a daily basis.

She heard the door knock and immediately ran to answer it.

"Hey C.C., like the dress, but it needs a little more, let me look through your closet. Oooooo, here we go, this cardigan will look great over top, and it will definitely add a little extra to the look. Hmmm, now we need some shoes. I swear, C.C., do you have anything beside flats and sneakers in this closet of yours. Oooooo, here we go, not really my thing, but these boots will look great on you. Why don't you ever wear them?"

"Well, to be honest, I forgot they were in there."

"Well put them on. And let me add to your make up, we are hitting the town, not going to work, we definitely need to add a little more to the eyes to enhance them, because God knows your eyes are gorgeous!"

"Fran, you know, you really are a great person. Your husband just cheated on you and yet you are still trying to fix me up. "

"C.C. that marriage was over a long time ago, and you listen to my problems all the time. The least I could do is help you with yours."

And so she added some smokiness to the eyes of C.C. Babcock and the girls were ready to hit the town.

They went to a local, but yet very popular club that was close to C.C.'s apartment building. They walked in and immediately Fran was in her element. With the fast paced music, Fran couldn't help but sway her hips and she was asked to dance by a very handsome Jewish man. She felt bad leaving C.C., but C.C. insisted that she go and dance with him and so Fran took her advice.

C.C. just sat there for a while, not sure what to do, before deciding to get a drink. Truthfully, she wasn't used to this sort of thing and she figured maybe with a few drinks in her, she would feel a little less self conscious and shy.

She ordered a margarita and sat there sipping on it. Of course, since she was sitting alone and boredom got the better of her and she finished her margarita pretty quickly.

She was definitely feeling its effects and she felt as if she was on top of the world. She was ready to go and dance and she didn't care if she was alone or in a group as long as she was dancing it up.

Of course her high on life feeling would be instantly taken away, for just as she was about to hit the dance floor, a certain attorney sat down at her table. She tried to avoid him, but of course that wasn't happening since he grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him before letting go so she could sit. She would never admit that this display of dominance from him was a serious turn on.

"Sit, Babs."

"Why should I sit with you? I happen to be in a very good mood at the moment. Of course seeing you, however, is causing it to diminish."

"Well, I saw you were _alone_ and I figured I would come over here and give you some company, but when you put it that way…."

"You'll leave? Because the fact that you showed up in the first place is really ruining my evening."

"Oh you say it, but you don't mean it."

"Are you drunk? Because if I didn't know any better, I would think that you actually _want_ to sit with me."

"Oh don't flatter yourself, Babbycakes. I just thought I'd be the better person you know since you were _alone_ and all."

"Well as much as you keep putting stress on the fact that I was _alone_, I was rather content before you came over here. I was just about to go dance actually until I was rudely interrupted by your presence."

He wanted to ask her to dance but her could never show any sort of caring side towards this woman. For someone who was low on the totem pole in her career and financial status, she had no problem defending herself. He couldn't deny that he loved this quality about her and if sparring was the only interaction he would ever have with her, then, by all means, he would continue to do it.

A voice interrupted his thoughts as a tall, dark and exceedingly handsome man approached her.

"Hi, would you like to dance? I am John by the way."

"Sure! I'm C.C."

And with that the two of them dashed away onto the dance floor.

Niles just looked, completely stunned at what just occurred in from of him. A pool of emotion hit him as jealousy brewed inside of him. He never thought in a million years that seeing her with another man would have this effect on him, but it did and he hated the feeling.

So with this river of pain rapidly flowing inside of him he ordered a drink hoping to numb these feelings before the evening was over. One scotch down and still the jealously flowed through him. He ordered a several more and downed them one by one right in a row.

Needless to say, he was drunk as a skunk at this point. But still, he was jealous, and the river that was flowing in him before, was now overflowing as he sat at the bar and watched her enjoy herself with another man. _Damn, why does she have this effect on me? I hate her so much!_ But of course he was lying to himself as he continued to down another drink.

It was getting late now and the party was winding down the final song. C.C. and the handsome man had just sat down and they exchanged numbers with one another before parting their ways for the evening.

Fran had had a great time as well. Anything that had stressed or bummed her out earlier was completely left behind.

She walked up to C.C. and approached her. She opened her mouth to speak:

"C.C. Aren't you so glad, you came out with me tonight and look you even got a phone number from a very sexy man I might add. What was his name?"

"John, and he was sexy, wasn't he? Should I call him?"

"Yes, but wait a couple of days, you don't want to seem desperate."

"Oh but I am Fran."

"Well, keep a little mystery in the relationship and wait a couple of days. Anyways, meet me downstairs in a few, I just need to go to the ladies' room."

"Ok, see you in a few."

And with that she headed down the stairs. Little did she know that an extremely drunken Niles had stumbled down the stairs after her.

She was outside in front of the building waiting, when all of the sudden he was standing right in front of her.

She smelled the stench of scotch on his breath immediately and had no problem voicing her distaste.

"What do you want, Jupiter? You smell like a distillery?"

With no control of himself whatsoever, Niles walked toward her until her back was against the building. Without saying anything, he tightly grabbed her shoulders and forcefully planted his lips on top of hers.

Conflicting thoughts were going through her mind. She hated this man and he was completely bombed out of his mind and yet something felt so right about this kiss. And so she thought with her heart instead of her brain and melted into him with her eyes closed. She responded by kissing him back a couple of times before her brain finally sprang back into action and she pushed him away.

"I can't do this….uhh….Fran is waiting for me."

With that, she ran back into the building in attempt to flee for her life from the feelings that she just experienced, for they petrified her tremendously.

Niles just stood there for a second, in awe at what had just happened before he stumbled to the nearest open cab. As drunk as he was, every detail of that kiss would not be forgotten, and he knew damn good and well that there were 2 sets of lips involved in action. He mumbled his address to the cab driver, before lying down, lost in his thoughts. As cloudy as they were, however, this kiss was a clear as a sunny day. He continued to think about what just happened as the cab took him home.

…

C.C. had managed to escape back into the building. She anxiously looked for Fran and paced around the building as thoughts about what just happened clouded her mind.

_What the hell just happened? Oh my God, what just happened? _Still confused as ever, she just slowly brushed her fingertips over her lips. In her mind, she tried to blame alcohol as the reason for her loss of control. But she knew that she was lying to herself. Of course, she couldn't speak for him, for clearly he had had so much to drink he smelled like the Jack Daniel's plant, itself.

Her thoughts were interrupted just then, as Fran walked up to her.

"There you are C.C., I've been looking for you. I thought you were outside."

C.C. wasn't sure if she was ready to tell anyone about what just happened, for it still felt like a dream to her.

Fran, of course, knew her well enough to know that she was on edge.

"C.C. what happened, you weren't like this 20 minutes ago. I can tell something is different about you."

C.C. could hide it no longer, for she though she would burst if she didn't tell someone soon.

"Well, let's just say, I don't kiss and tell."

"Wow, girl, you and that handsome guy I saw you dancing with earlier, kissed, wow you don't waste no time." Fran said with a wink.

"Well…not exactly."

"What do you, mean, you kissed someone else, who?"

"Uh no one you would know."

"You can't lie to me C.C. Babcock, I can see it on your face that it is someone I know, tell me, tell me!"

In a soft voice, almost like a whisper, C.C. told her

"Niles."

Fran just stood there with her mouth gaping open and her eyes widened stunned and in complete and utter shock at what she just heard.

They got into the next available cab and shared no conversation on the way home, as shock was still evident on both their faces.

This day and night had been interesting to say the least.


	4. Operation Fran Matchmaker

_**A/N: Hello hello! Very excited to share this chapter with you all. Please review if you love it or hate it for that matter! Anyways, special thanks to Lucky Starz for being the lone reviewer of chapter 2! Anyways, hope you all enjoy!**_

Chapter 3- Operation Fran Matchmaker

Fran and C.C. still walked in silence as they headed up the stairs to her one bedroom apartment.

Still on edge, C.C. was shaking as she fumbled for her keys to open the apartment door. Finally, she was able to get a hold of them and open it. Fran followed behind her through the apartment door. She shut and locked it before opening her mouth to speak.

Her tone was that of complete and utter shock and surprise:

"OH MY GAWD! C.C. did I hear you correctly."

"Yes, don't make me say his name again" she said in a quite soft, but anxious tone nonetheless.

"How did this happen? I saw you with him, but then you were asked to dance with John. What happened? Oh, must have been those 20 minutes I snuck away to go the ladies' room."

Fran could clearly see the look of distress and conflict on C.C.'s face. She was having a hard time speaking about what just happened. It, in her mind, was the most wrong thing she had ever done, but in her heart something about it felt….right. It scared her to no end, because those two parts of her being were normally on the same page.

"C.C. what's wrong? It's ok! It was just a kiss after all, not a lifetime commitment. Everyone does crazy things at the club once in a while. Just blame it on alcohol."

C.C. continued to struggle internally, however, it was on the verge of coming out.

"Oh, Fran, it's different with him. I can't just run away from all this, he works closely with Mr. Sheffield on a daily basis. I see him all of the time."

"I am sure he was just as embarrassed as you at his loss of control. Trust me, he won't mention it again. Don't worry about work, no one will ever find out…OH MY GAWD! Your are not worried about work…C.C., do you have feelings for him?"

"NO….maybe."

"You do! I can see it in your eyes! How did this happen? When did it happen, tell me! Don't leave me hanging, C."

"Well this kiss happened when I was waiting downstairs for you. Needless to say, he was bombed out of his mind when it happened. He just grabbed me by the shoulders, after I first insulted him for smelling like a bottle of scotch and then he kissed me…and I sort of kissed him back."

"Oh my Gawd, you have got it bad for him."

"No I don't!"

"Yes, you do, I can see it written on your face and you are a terrible liar."

"No I don't, I despise him! He makes me so angry."

"No he makes you hot, not angry. It has been so long you forgot the difference."

"Well I am sure he doesn't feel the same way, for he was extremely inebriated."

"Well there is only one way to find out for sure, missy!"

"How?"

"Tell him how you feel, and I know just the perfect time to do it."

"When?"

"The benefit. We will go shopping tomorrow! I will help you pick out a gorgeous dress. He will ogle you all night, and then you will tell him."

"No I can't tell him, I hate him! He hates me and that is how it's always been. He's so damn arrogant! Uh, he makes me…."

"Crazy, your heart pound wild? Baby, that is not hate!"

"Well, what if he doesn't feel the same way. I can't make a fool of myself in front him. Oh God, he would never let me live that down."

"Oh, honey I understand where you are coming from, but you can't spend the rest of your life wondering and waiting forever. You have to know. You deserve to know."

"Well what about the floozy he said he was bringing. He told me he had a date."

"Don't worry about her, leave it all to me, honey. He needs to know the truth and if he feels the same way, some cheap little harlot will not stand in the way. Oh I can't wait to go shopping tomorrow! Oh and I love glasses as much as the next girl, but C., you should really invest in some contacts for this event. He needs a glimpse of your lovely eyes!"

C.C. was truthfully getting tired now as Fran continued to talk a mile a minute. She was on the couch, beginning to doze off.

"Whatever you say, Franny," she said sleepily.

"Don't forget, in the afternoon, we are shopping tomorrow!"

"Mhhmmm…" she mumbled drowsily.

"C.C., I am losing you honey, I think you better head to bed."

Half asleep, C.C. stumbled to her bedroom, attempted to brush her teeth, changed into her pajamas and plopped down onto her bed, where she almost instantly fell asleep.

_Of course her dreams went instantly back to the forceful kiss he planted on her lips that night, but also delved into what could have happened if she hadn't fled from him. _

_Images poured into her dreams as she saw herself going into his apartment and being led into his room, where he slowly undressed her while caressing her soft skin and playing with her nut brown locks. He planted kisses down her neck as her dress fell gracefully to the floor revealing her undergarments. _

_He continued to dominate her as ran his hands down her stomach, taking in the feeling of her creamy alabaster skin. He took the small of her back in one hand and pulled her towards him. He fumbled with her bra, while she simultaneously fumbled with the buttons of his shirt. _

_Finally they both had succeeded and were down to almost no clothing at all. He pulled her close to him and crushed his lips on top of hers. A melody could have been attached to the rhythm of their lips as their tongues danced and entwined with one another. _

_They continued to ravenously kiss one another as Niles somewhat forcefully pushed her down onto the bed. He would have his way with this infuriating woman soon enough. He slipped off her panties and ran his hands up her thighs about to begin teasing her…_

DUNT DUNT DUNT DUNT DUNT DUNT DUNT!

She was awaken immediately by the sound of her quite annoying alarm clock going off. She slammed down the snooze button and attempted to enter her reverie once more, but with no such luck. Sadly, that was as far as this fantasy would go.

She sprang out of bed, and quickly jumped into the shower, needing to relieve the tension that this dream had caused. No denying it had left her extremely hot and bothered, for she had woken up dripping in sweat.

She hopped out of the shower, able to relieve the physical urges for now, but still having a hard time shaking the mental images of him out of her mind.

She slipped on one of her dresses, decided to put a little makeup on before drying her hair and slipping her glasses up her nose. Her long brown hung down the sides of her face as she walked out of the room, ready for work.

She came downstairs and saw Fran still sleeping on the couch. She debated whether or not she should wake her and decided against it. As much fun as Fran appeared to be, C.C. figured that she still had to be a little upset about her husband. She decided to leave her a note.

Hey Fran,

I am headed to work. Just come to the mansion when you are ready. I already booked the afternoon off for our shopping trip. I need your help finding a nice dress for the benefit, for I know no one with tastes as impeccable as yours. Anyways, see you soon, just use the spare key and lock the door on your way out.

XOXOXOXO

C.C.

She left the note on the kitchen counter. Surely with that appetite of hers, Fran would see it at some point.

C.C. walked out and took a cab to work.

…

Maxwell had picked the script for his next show and although it wasn't C.C.'s favorite, she thought it was decent nonetheless. Work, however, was not coming so easy to her today as she continued to think about both what happened at the club and the dream thereafter. She continued to picture it in her mind, not even noticing that Niles, himself had just walked into the room.

She was shaken out of her fantasy however, by the sound of his voice as he talked to Maxwell. She couldn't help but stare as he talked to Max in what appeared to be a completely cool, calm, collected and self-assured state.

_I hate him! I hate him! I hate him! Why is he so damn good looking? And why is he making me feel this way. I have never been so damn confused in all of my life. _

She continued to take in everything about his physical appearance hoping to make a beautiful picture of him in her mind. She hated the fact that she caught herself doing this, but she continued to do it nonetheless.

She waited for his daily insult of the morning, but it never came. Something was different about him now, as he turned and looked at her. He had a hard time meeting her eyes.

He merely mumbled: "Good morning, Miss Babcock", before dashing out of the room.

This strange behavior caused her to wonder just how much he remembered from the night before.

…

Niles dashed straight into the kitchen, where he took a deep breath. _Oh God, I can't even look at her. I might lose control again. She looks so pretty today. Damn, man, pull yourself together; just blame it on the booze. I doubt she will even mention it anyways. Oh my gosh, why does she do this to me? _

He was interrupted in his thoughts, as Fran Fine entered the kitchen. She went to retrieve a piece of chocolate mousse pie and noticed him sitting there, anxiety chiseled on his face with his head in his hands.

"Good morning, Mr. Brightmore, what's eating you?"

"Oh, nothing, just some stress at work, no biggie."

Fran could see right through this lie immediately, but for the first time in her life, she decided not to get involved, mainly because she didn't know him well enough to do so.

"Oh, I understand. Well surely things will look up. Are you going to the benefit this weekend?"

"Yes, I am! I have a date lined up and everything. I can't wait; C.C. did a real great job planning the event. "

Fran could clearly see the gleam in his eye as these words came out of his mouth.

"Yes, she did. I just hope Mr. Sheffield notices and gives her a little more credit once in a while."

"Yeah…well, I better get back to the office. Nice talking to you Mrs. Imperiali."

"Yeah, you too."

He walked out of the room and Fran couldn't help but have a smirk on her face. _He is smitten, I can tell. Wow, who would have thought? They need to be together, C.C. works hard and deserves to be happy. Even though I initially thought this man was a complete pompous ass, clearly his love is softening him slightly. Well, Fran the matchmaker is in business. _

She was interrupted in her thoughts as the door opened and C.C. walked into the room. Fran just smiled at her friend and thought that although she was a geeky girl, she had a very charming air and numerous cute traits about her nonetheless. She planned on enhancing these traits for the benefit and maybe then these two totally different individuals would end up in the arms of one another, as it should be.

"Fran, I am ready to go shopping are you?"

"You don't have to tell me twice sister."

And with that, the two of them headed out of the house, arm and arm ready to hit the shops. C.C. Babcock would be look elegant and gorgeous soon enough!


	5. Domineering Turn On

_**A/N: Thanks to Lucky Starz and Kittensbreath for reviewing chapter 3. Next chapter will most likely be the last unless I decide to add a little Fran and Maxwell too. I'll think about it. Anyways, hope you all enjoy this one!**_

Chapter 4- Domineering Turn On

As the girls headed out the door the were greeted by Niles one last time. He had gathered his wits about him somewhat and therefore had no problem insulting C.C. on their way to the door.

"Where are you off to today, frump girl? Off to get Maxwell his morning coffee? Could you get me a latte while you're out? Low fat please, I am trying to watch my waist line. Clearly you have overlooked that concept."

"Oh please, this coming from a man who finds the location of the cheesecake before Sylvia. And no I will not get you a latte! You have no power over me or in this house!"

He changed the subject in order to prolong this banter that he enjoyed so much.

"Babs, you got a date for the benefit? Oh of course, you do! Your date's name is me, myself and I!"

"I am sure whoever I decide to bring will exude much more couth than some floozy you picked up at the country club!"

"Oh, jealous are we Babs?"

"Oh please, don't flatter yourself! For your information, I could have a lovely date. John and I had a lovely time at the club last night and we exchanged numbers."

"Oh, that Ken doll I saw you all over last night? Please, you could have a more intelligent conversation with an ant than that pretty boy!"

"Oh and I suppose the lovely, and may I add, cheap, woman you met at the country club is well versed in Shakespeare and Hemmingway?"

"She happens to be a wonderful catch."

"Well, why don't you just marry her then?"

_Because I am totally smitten over someone else!_

They both hadn't noticed that Fran had left the room in the middle of their barbs. They continued their argument, sparks flying between them as they did so.

"What do you think, Babs, you think I should?" Niles said sarcastically.

_No, because then that would mean you would be with someone else and I can't take that!_

"I don't know, if her stupidity is equivalent to your head size, then yes I think it would be an excellent match."

"My head size! Who is humpty dumpty here, Babsy?"

"Please, you have used that insult on me so many times. I think you are losing your touch, Niles!"

"Oh, please Babcock, I am just getting warmed up!"

_Is it the same way in which I am getting warmed up?_

"Bring it on, Jupiter!"

"I would, but don't you have some scripts to give to the messenger since Max very well can't handle that himself?"

"For your information, I have the entire day off! Fran and I are going shopping if you must know."

"Oh, how exciting, Babs, is this the first time in 20 years you've been to the mall?"

"You are so infuriating!"

"Glad to bring that side out of you Babs!"

"I loathe you, you old cad!"

He shifted closer to her at this remark. Their faces were mere inches away from one another as he continued to insult her.

"I despise you, you mousy woman!"

"Well, I for one can't look at you another second." she said firmly with a slight twirl of her head and a jab of her finger into his chest.

She turned around about to head out the door, not before he ran in front of it to stop her.

"Don't run away from me, Babcock! I am not finished with you yet!"

"Well I am through with you, please move out of my way, _now!_"

He moved closer to her, she backed up slowly as he assertively approached her. He continued to come toward her until they were a mere inches apart once more. Truth be told Niles wasn't thinking straight and starting to lose control.

Forcefully he grabbed her upper back and pulled him toward her so that their bodies were pressed together. Both their hearts were pumping wildly at this sudden close proximity. C.C. could feel herself starting to sweat and those urges she felt only hours earlier were starting to come back again. They looked into each others' eyes, however, her glasses were on the edge of her nose, about fall off.

She urgently pushed them up before they went tumbling down to the ground.

"I said, I wasn't finished with you Babcock!"

And with that he crashed his lips on top of hers. Initially, she didn't respond and her eyes were still open in shock. This shock wore off quickly however, and she responded by wrapping her arms around him. She began to explore, running her left hand through his sandy blonde hair, while using the other one to explore the feeling of his broad shoulders and strong back.

His hands started exploring every inch of her body. He reveled in this closeness and was ravished by the feeling of her curves. She was bigger than the normal standard of beauty and he loved her because of that. More beautiful skin to explore, grab onto and make his, he figured.

His hands continued to explore her hips and lower back and she parted her lips for entry. He gave in immediately and their tongues rhythmically danced and entwined around each other in and long and passionate kiss. Their hands continued to ravenously explore every inch of one another for the remainder of the kiss.

They broke apart when the need of oxygen was dire to their survival. Niles didn't gasp for air however, until he was able to brandish her with several more aggressive kisses along her soft cream colored neck. Surely they would leave some kind of mark.

Gaining their composure, their eyes met briefly. They were still in one another's arms at this point. The desire was evident in both their eyes as they remained like this for a moment longer. Niles brought a hand up to play with a strand of her nut brown hair. They lingered like this a moment longer, no words between them.

However, their contact was interrupted as Maxwell walked into the room and they broke apart abruptly.

"There you two are, I could hear you at each other's throats all the way from the office. Honestly, I cannot leave you two in the same room together. Niles come to my office, I have a question about those contracts you brought over. And C.C. I thought you said you were taking the rest of the afternoon off.

Slightly flustered, C.C. opened her mouth to answer him.

"Oh, yes, of course, Fran and I were just leaving. FRAN!"

"Slowly, the downstairs bathroom door opened and Fran appeared. Of course, being a yenta and a sucker for romance, she had watched the entire thing go down in the hallway."

"C.C. I am ready, lets go shopping."

And with that they walked out the door. Niles admired her backside as she walked out the door and wished he was in bed, spooning her, memorizing the feeling of her curvaceous butt and the small of her back against him.

Needless to say, the rest of his work day would prove to be quite difficult, when the only thing he could think about was making this woman his.

….

C.C. and Fran were having a wonderful time at the mall. Of course Fran had already bought about 7 bags worth of items and C.C. ended up carrying about half of them, but she was still enjoying herself nonetheless.

They still needed to find her a dress for the benefit however. She had tried on a few, all of which were very pretty on the hanger, but just not doing it for her when she put them on. Her and Fran entered another department store, determined to find something for her to wear.

"C.C. come out of the dressing room already and let me see it!"

"Fran, it looks awful!"

"Just let me see!"

"Fine"

C.C. opened the door and Fran was having a hard time keeping herself from laughing. The dress looked outrageous, completely unflattering in all the wrong places.

"Stop laughing, I told you it was bad!"

"Definitely a no, for that, hold on, let me go look for another one."

C.C. waited patiently as Fran went to look for another dress. She swiftly came back with another one.

"C.C. I have a good feeling about this one, try it on!"

"Alright, whatever you say."

C.C. put on the dress and gazed at herself it the dressing room mirror.

_Hmmm, I really like this one. I wonder what Niles will think. OMG, why I am thinking like that. And what the hell was I thinking, kissing him in the middle of Mr. Sheffield's house! Well, I am sure he is playing head games with me. I can't let him win._

Fran's nasal voice interrupted her thoughts.

"C.C. c'mon! Hurry up, already and let me see. I am dying here!"

Slowly C.C. opened the door to the dressing room to show Fran the dress. Fran smiled as she took in C.C.'s appearance. The dress itself was a dark purple halter that was cut slightly low, enough to see a little cleavage, but enough coverage to leave a little mystery involved. It had a nice elegant rhinestone pattern in the middle of the cut. A little matching jewelry and the right shoes and C.C. would look amazing.

"You look absolutely stunning. This is the one, no question about it!"

"Oh, you think so? I did like it myself!"

"Like, girl, I love it. Niles will be all over you."

"Speaking of Niles, Fran, I sort of lost control….."

"Girl, no need to tell me I saw the whole thing. I thought I was inside a Danielle Steel novel."

"Fran, you are such a yenta!"

"So weird, hearing you speak Yiddish."

"I know, right!"

They laughed as C.C. shut the door to the dressing room to change back into her normal clothes. With reassurance from Fran, she knew this dress was the one.

When she came out of the dressing room, the girls continued to look around the store and when they were finished and at the register to pay, C.C ended up buying some shimmering earrings and a bracelet, as well as a pair of silver open toed heels that would all complement the dress beautifully.

The girls left the mall happily after first eating at the food court. They both took Val's car back to Val's apartment and C.C. paid for the cab to take them back to her apartment.

It was pretty late when they arrived back to her apartment. Tiredness was starting to overcome C.C. as she walked through the door with her new dress and accessories. Fran could clearly see that is was time for C.C. to hit the sack.

"Tired so soon?"

"Yes, unlike you, I was up at 7 am" she said sleepily.

"True. Ok, well go to bed, get your beauty sleep, although if I asked Niles, he'd most likely say that keeping you awake all night is his ultimate goal!"

"Fran!"

"Just saying! Anyways, I can't wait for the benefit this weekend. You and Niles and me and Barbra! I will finally get to meet the messiah, herself!"

"Oh and C.C., _sweet dreams_!" the nasal women laughed honkily.

C.C. let out a small laugh before heading to her bedroom and getting ready for bed. She crawled into her bed and fell asleep pretty quickly.

Needless to say, her dreams were full of more fantasies involving that cad of an attorney.

As much as she pretended to hate his domineering behavior, it was secretly one of the traits that turned her on most about him.

The benefit would certainly be interesting.


	6. That's Just The Way It's Supposed To Be

_**A/N: Last chapter of this story. Hope you all enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed writing it and sharing it with you all. Shout outs to Shara Michelle and Kittensbreath for reviewing chapter 4.**_

Chapter 5- That's Just The Way It's Supposed To Be

Tonight was the night of the benefit. Fran, of course, couldn't contain herself, knowing that the possibility of meeting Barbra Streisand was very likely.

C.C., on the other hand, was a bag of nerves as she thought about what had happened those several days earlier. Generally, when she let her guard down for a man, it didn't turn out so well, and considering this man went out of his way to make her life a living hell on a daily basis, didn't make her want give in to her heart's wishes so easily.

But, of course, what happened between them was the first thing that popped into her mind every time she let it wander, whether she was at work, asleep, sitting in her apartment or riding in a cab, somehow he always managed to pop back into her mind. She hated the fact that she felt this way about the vilest man she'd ever met and she tried to push these feelings off as just pure lust and desire.

But deep down, she knew they went much farther than that, at least for her.

She eyed herself in the mirror. She was completely dressed and ready to go. Fran put her hair in an updo, with some loose strands of hair hanging down at the sides of her face and her normal straight across bangs were swooped to the side. She had invested in contacts and Fran did her eye makeup to enhance her blue eyes.

Needless to say, with the combined look of her purple halter dress, enhanced eye makeup, stunning hairdo, shimmering jewelry and shoes, she looked absolutely amazing.

"C.C. You look gorgeous!"

"Thank you Fran, I couldn't have done it without you. You look absolutely beautiful yourself, I am sure all the women there will wish you dead", she smiled after providing the compliment.

"Oh stop it, your making me blush!"

C.C. just laughed at Fran's crazy antics before the two of them grabbed their purses and headed out to take a cab to the benefit.

….

They arrived there moments later, paid the cab driver and walked in. The scene inside was absolutely breathtaking, everything was perfect with the tables and chairs set up nicely and the silverware and napkins wrapped elegantly.

"C.C., Niles was right, you did an incredible job organizing this event!"

"Niles said that?"

"Yeah, contrary to what he says to you, he really does appreciate what you bring to Maxwell's company."

"Really?"

"Of course, sweetie! Now what are we doing standing around here for, I have to find Barbra and you need to go find Niles!"

With that, they went their separate ways. C.C. scanned the room looking for him. She needed to at least thank him for his compliment after all. She sat down at her assigned table, ordered a glass of white wine and continued to look around for him.

There was no sign of him and she continued to sip on her wine. She continued to scan the room. Finally, she saw him come through the door. He was arm in arm with a blonde woman about half his age. She was wearing a very short silvery dress that C.C. could have seen her reflection in.

_I should have known. Look at that damn cheep floozy! I know I am not perfect, but I try to keep this event as sophisticated as possible and look what piece of trash that cad brings in here. Gosh, I just want to kill him._

But of course this wasn't the only reason she was upset and the envy was clearly evident in her eyes and body language as she dumped several glasses of wine down her gullet.

Although Niles had this blonde and significantly younger woman linked in his arm this very moment, he knew it was all just an act. He scanned the room for C.C. and soon enough, he saw her sitting at the table, alone with several empty glasses of wine. He wondered why she was drinking so much, for she rarely did that sort of thing at these affairs.

He was about to go up to her and ask what was wrong, but before he had the chance the lights dimmed and music started playing. The blonde linked to his arm opened her mouth to speak:

"Hey Niles, we should dance."

Niles didn't want to be rude since she had nicely agreed to be his date on such short notice. Not to mention, making Babcock a little jealous might be fun. And so, he accepted her offer and the two of them headed to the dance floor.

C.C., of course, became livid at the sight of this and she hated the fact that she really couldn't control these feelings.

_Look at the two of them. He looks like he could be her father, how pathetic! What is she, about 12? Absolutely sad, really. _

But as much as she told herself all these things, the jealousy just continued to boil up inside her. She was on the verge knocking down every empty wine glass on the table in front of her so that they would tumble to the floor and break into a million pieces. Tears were slowly but surely creeping to the surface and she knew that if she didn't get out of there soon and get some air, the volcano of tears would burst in front of everyone. And so with another full wine glass in hand, she took off, out of the room, up the stairs, to the roof of the building.

Finally, she was by herself, and she let the tears pour down her face. She finished off another glass of wine before throwing the glass onto the concrete, letting it break before her. She didn't even care that one of the shards had embedded itself into her leg. The pain of that was miniscule compared to the heartbreak she felt seeing him with another woman.

And she hated feeling this way, because she wasn't supposed to feel this way about a man who did nothing but make her life miserable. She was never the type of person to lose control of her emotions. Only he made her feel this way. _God I hate him!_ But of course that wasn't true.

She continued to pace around the rooftop, flailing her arms at the complete loss of her control. She didn't even notice that the little shard of glass had left a little opening and a small pool of blood had formed through her nylons.

She also didn't take notice of the slightly cold weather and continued to walk around the rooftop, her breath forming clouds in the air as her chest heaved. The moon shined down on her and if it weren't for the fact that she was a rubber band ball of nerves and anxiety, she would have looked extremely elegant standing there in the moonlight.

…..

The music had cut off and the lights came back on, as the people walked over to their tables to wait for their food to come. Although Niles had a fun time dancing with the young blonde, he had no real feelings for her. Babcock had been on his mind for a while and he realized she was missing as he quickly scanned the room for her. He briskly walked around looking for her and was actually getting worried as he realized she was nowhere to be found.

He walked out and took the stairs. He immediately noticed a woman's shoe resting on the stairs near the floor of the rooftop. He ran up and examined the shoe. He knew immediately that it belonged to C.C., for he had taken her in entirely as he had walked into the building earlier that night. He continued up the stairs and burst open the door and onto the rooftop.

He immediately saw C.C., her back towards him, staring out across the sky. He saw the shards of glass on the concrete and immediately became worried about her health and mental welfare. As much as he enjoyed insulting her, now was just not the time.

He briskly walked over to her and spoke:

"C.C….are you alright?"

She turned around and looked at him, the sadness and pain captured in her bright blue irises.

"Niles, would you just leave me alone! Haven't you done enough to make my life miserable? The least you could do is let me wallow in it _alone."_

He hated seeing her this way. Even as a secretary, she always exhibited fire towards him. It broke his heart to see her defeated and it took all of the strength he could muster not to just run over to her and pull her into an embrace this very second. He feared she would run away, however and so he controlled himself from doing so.

"C.C., what is wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Why do you care? You've never cared about my feelings!"

He knew, of course, that he had never treated her lovingly, but it was never malicious on his part. He wondered now, however, if she had taken it as such. He decided it was time to tell her how he truly felt.

"I have cared, C.C.! I do care, so much! Oh God, I have been such a fool. I live for the insults we share, but I only thought of them as a game, our game that nobody could touch. It was the only way I have showed my feelings to you for so long."

"I love the games too, but Niles, don't you ever just get tired of it all?"

He pondered that question for a minute before answering her honestly.

"Not if the games are played with you. I don't know how else to say this, C.C…"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I love you, everything about you. The way you never let anything get you down at the office. You have been Max's secretary forever and you work just as hard now as you did when you started and you put your heart and soul into it all. I love the way you chew on your pen cap with your glasses on the edge of your nose as you read a script. I love the way your hips move as you enter and leave the room. I love the way you twist your head as you throw me a good insult. I love how you are afraid to be vulnerable. I love how you have no idea how beautiful you are. I love how infuriating you are. I'm flat out addicted to you Babcock, everything about you."

C.C. just took in his words are he confessed his undying love for her. He was nervous as she stood there in silence.

Slowly her lips upturned into a smile and she ran up to him before drawing him into an embrace and burying her head into the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and the two of them just held each other, keeping one another warm as the moonlight shined down upon them.

Finally, they broke apart and sat down next to one another, backs against the concrete wall of the building, legs sprawled out straight in front of them, hand in hand.

They sat in silence, just reveling in one another's touch before Niles spoke once more.

"C.C. I'm not one for fairytales, but I believe this belongs to you."

He pulled out her shoe and slowly slipped it on her manicured foot, before holding the foot in his hand.

"It fits. I guess that means I'm yours, Jupiter!"

"Always, frump girl!"

And with that, they shifted onto their knees, cupped each other's faces and drew each other into a long, passionate kiss. They broke apart before C.C. groaned in pain.

"Oh God, was it that bad?"

"No of course not quite the contrary. I must have gotten glass in my leg."

Niles lifted up her dress and saw the little area on her shin where the blood had been drawn and the glass had pierced her skin.

"C.C. it isn't too bad, but I must get the glass out. Here, I have a little blade on my Swiss army knife that should do the trick no problem."

"That thing better be sterilized!"

"Here, I'll go in and sterilize really quick if that would make you happy."

"You're leaving?"

"Now the truth comes out. Babcock would miss me if I was gone!"

"You caught me, Jupiter! Ok, I trust you, it will be fine."

"Well, the nylons either have to come off or I have to cut a hole in them."

"Niles, I can't take them off sitting like this!"

"I'll assist you."

Before she could growl in protest, he had shifted up the skirt of her dress and had his hands on her waist, where began to pull the nylons down, taking in her soft cream colored skin with his finger tips as he slowly slipped them down her thighs, calves and finally her ankles. Just this contact alone made both their bodies twitch with desire. He couldn't help but place a kiss on the inside of her ankle and hearing her resonate sounds of pleasure at this simple gesture made him want to have his way with her on the rooftop this very second.

He, however, planned on nursing her back to normal working order, before he did any such thing. He shined the little flashlight on his keys on the wounded area so he could see the glass thoroughly. Seeing it, he used the blade to pry open the wound just enough to where he could grab the shard. With another tool on his Swiss army knife, he was easily able to grab the small shard before chucking it across the rooftop.

"Thank you, Niles."

"Not a problem, love. Would you like to go back inside, C.C., it is awfully cold out here."

"No, I love the moonlight."

"Well, I am not letting you catch cold before I have my way with you."

With that, he took off his suit coat and slipped it around her shoulders. He relished in the sight of the woman he loved wearing his jacket.

"Niles, how do you manage to be gentleman and a complete cad in the same sentence?"

"Years of experience, my love."

"Well, I must admit it is quite a turn on."

"Really, Babcock, you like that side of me?"

"Very much so! In God's name, I have no idea why!"

This talk was starting to turn him on as they sat together under the moonlight. His eyes were hungry with desire ready to devour her as he looked at her, wearing his jacket, the moonlight shone across her porcelain face. He wanted her this very second. He planted a kiss on her jaw line and moved down her neck. Her throat vibrated sounds of pleasure before she turned towards him.

Truth be told, desire was evident in her eyes as well and she crushed her lips on top of his. She parted her lips and he ran his tongue along them before entering her mouth. He explored the walls, taking in the taste of the chardonnay she had consumed earlier. Their tongues danced around one another rhythmically and entwined with one another as the two rolled around on the rooftop kissing passionately, the moonlight hitting them both. Quickly, Niles unzipped her dress and the two of them removed their clothing and undergarments. They took in one another. Niles couldn't get over how angelic she looked as the light hit every inch of her creamy alabaster skin. He looked like a Greek God to her as the moonlight bounced off his shoulders and broad chest.

The two of them made passionate love on the rooftop before scrambling to get their clothes back on. Niles couldn't help planting a few more kisses down her neck and right above the crevice of her breasts as helped her zip her dress back up.

"Niles, stop it" she said through a smile, knowing that this made her body beg for more.

"Alright, we'll continue this later", he smiled as he grabbed her hand in his.

They took the elevator down to the benefit, hand in hand. Niles had forgotten all about the date he brought and frankly he didn't care. He had the woman of his dreams already.

They heard singing as they walked back into the room where the benefit was being held. Fran was completely in her element, mesmerized as Barbra Streisand sang "The Way We Were."

Of course C.C. immediately noticed the arm wrapped around Fran's shoulder and knew immediately that it belonged to Maxwell Sheffield. C.C. couldn't help but smile at the sight of them, hoping that their simple contact would amount to more in the future.

"Babcock, you ready to ditch this joint?"

"Let me tell, Fran…actually you know what, I think Mr. Sheffield's got her covered. Yes, I'm ready", she smiled at him.

The two of them briskly walked out of the building hand in hand and got into the first open cab. They headed to Niles's apartment where they spent their first of endless nights together.

So with this analysis into the alternate lives of C.C. Babcock and Niles Brightmore, a common conclusion is drawn. They will always live for one another's insults and most importantly, they are _always_ meant to be together. That's just the way it's supposed to be.

The End


End file.
